Mighty cheers as Sulphur City Steam Rollers' Motley Crew battle to Slam Rock win

Slam Rock 2022 was action-packed. Photo / Jamie Fox, J Fox Media

Mighty cheers and thunderous applause resonated through the Southern Trust Sportsdrome as Rotorua's roller derby team sped and battled their way to a win in this year's Slam Rock.

The Sulphur City Steam Rollers' Motley Crew took on the Bay City Rollers from Napier in the eighth anniversary of the event.

Layla Robinson (Primevil), Sulphur City Steam Rollers marketing and events coordinator, says winning Slam Rock always feels amazing.

"The crowd is huge compared to most other roller derby games in the country so we feel the pressure, but it's good pressure and helps get the adrenalin pumping."

She says the competition on Saturday night was great and the Bay City Rollers put up a good fight.

The final score was a 261 to 124 win for the Motley Crew.

Layla says the atmosphere at Slam Rock is crazy - "the cheering is so loud and the announcers are pumping them up all the time".

"Hearing something you did on the track be cheered on by your home crowd is a feeling like no other. It gives us a boost."

When asked what was up next for the Motley Crew, Layla said: "We have a double header in August against Swamp City Roller Derby who are travelling up to Rotorua from Palmerston North to play two of our teams, so we're pretty excited about that".

The month after, the Motley Crew are heading to Dunedin.

Sulphur City Steam Rollers' Motley Crew were the Slam Rock 2022 winners. Photo / Jamie Fox, J Fox Media

Layla says Slam Rock would not happen without the support from its major sponsors, who bought VIP tables and supported event costs.

"The Sulphur City Steam Rollers also had the support of the Rotorua Trust, which assisted with venue hire funding. All of this means so much, and enables us to keep the costs relatively low so that more of our community can attend."

Halftime entertainment included the Steam Rollers' annual Slam Rock Air Guitar Competition, where members of the crowd were invited to show off their skills in the hope of winning a real guitar. Prizes were also be given to the best-dressed adult and child rock stars.

Nicola, who didn't want her last name used, won the best-dressed adult prize with her gold outfit, said it felt fabulous to receive the prize.

She said she enjoyed going to Slam Rock to see the brave and fierce women compete.

In the game of roller derby, which is full contact and has been likened to "rugby on skates", players skate around an oval track in a pack of eight, four from each team, who hold the position of blockers.

Blockers must remain within a certain distance from each other at all times.

Also on the track are jammers, one from each team who are the point scorers. The jammers' try to break through the pack and score points for each opposition player they pass.

Played by an extensive rule set, developed by the Women's Flat Track Derby Association, a game of roller derby features seven referees and up to 14 non-skating officials.